Internet is eroding patience, survey claims

A survey commissioned by TalkTalk has suggested that the Brits are losing one of their most admired traits - their patience. It claims that 70% of the UK's web users "lose it" if they have to wait more than a minute for a website to load.

Of course, these kinds of surveys always have a motive behind them, and this one is about TalkTalk's new "Pro" service that offers download speeds of up to 24Mbps. The subtext is basically "you won't get angry at your web connection if you shell out £15 each monthfor this".

Website load time rage is compared to other rages - UK residents get impatient if kept on hold on the phone for five minutes and four seconds, whereas they're prepared to wait five minutes and six seconds for a kettle to boil. Restaurants will have to be faster, because people only seem to be prepared to wait eight minutes and 38 seconds for a meal.

More technologically, the average Brit demands a reply to a voicemail or text within 13 minutes and 16 seconds. Younger people are less likely to wait than older people, and 19% of 18-44 year olds have thrown something after they got angry with waiting for something.